


Old Times

by Not_You



Series: A Gentleman of Negotiable Virtue [21]
Category: X-Men: First Class (2011) - Fandom
Genre: Erik visits his former colleagues, Family Feels, Fluff and Angst, M/M, Parents & Children, Past Abuse, Prostitution
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-04-11
Updated: 2013-04-11
Packaged: 2017-12-08 03:45:19
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 964
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/756670
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Not_You/pseuds/Not_You
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>In which Erik goes back to Hellfire for a visit, and then finds himself gripped by a fit of feels as he and Charles talk about why they don't talk about their parents.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Old Times

Business is slow when it's too hot to fuck, and Erik times his visit accordingly. He's seen Azazel and the others since his spectacular departure, but this is the first time he's set foot on Hellfire property. He can't help but feel a kind of superstitious dread, but he's been legally exonerated and assured that the new owner is almost never there. And he does sort of miss the place. It was home for three years, and a comfortable one at that.

He buzzes in like a trick, which is funny and kind of sits wrong, but Angel is still working the desk, and she lights up at the sight of him.

"Erik!" She lets him in and comes into the lobby to hug him. "How are you, baby? You look good. Sugardaddy treating you right?"

He hugs back and grimaces. "Treating me wonderfully, but I really do need a job."

"Aw, bein' a kept man not your style?"

"I am the one who got bored with prostitution."

"True. Though Az has been making some noises. Says it's not as fun without you."

"I knew he cared. Can he come down for tea?"

Turns out Az can, and so can Janos and the new boy, Alex. They set up in the kitchen and it's just like old times. Alex is truculent and beautiful, with perfect pale skin and spiked blonde hair. He's the kind of boy where his muscles compliment the vulnerability in his eyes, and Erik finds himself wondering what Charles would make of him and squirming very slightly in his chair.

The kitchen door opens, and Erik glances over to see what he thinks at first is a lost customer. A lovely lost customer, slim and with very pretty features that suggest a mixture of Europe and East Asia. He moves with too much surety for that, though, and Erik suddenly realizes that he's facing the new owner, who was _supposed_ to be safely gone all day.

"Oh, don't let me interrupt. I just needed to talk to Angel about some appointments." He nods to Erik. "Stop worrying, I'm in your debt. He was horrible to my mother."

"…Oh. Thanks?"

Shinobi grins at him. "You're welcome."

Angel sets her tea aside, and the two of them go into the office. Erik shakes his head. "And what's the décor like in there now?"

"Nautical," Azazel says, adding another lump of sugar to Janos's cup as his colleague cuddles up beside him, as always looking sleepy and stoned. "It's rather nice, I think. Pictures of sailboats on the wall, ships in bottles on the shelves, that kind of thing."

Erik leaves feeling better for having seen his friends, but all the more aware that he has turned out to be that breed of human that needs some kind of career to not feel useless. He wishes his parents were still alive to nag him, and finds himself feeling blue and needy by the time he gets home. It's still strange to think of this opulent sprawl as home, but the smell of shepherd's pie and Charles's favored working music drifting out to him make it seem more plausible. Normally he would check on the pie, but today he just makes a beeline for the study, where Charles is parked at his desk, adorable reading glasses balanced on the tip of his nose. He looks around and smiles when Erik comes in. Erik smiles back, and kneels beside Charles's chair, resting his head on one enervated thigh. He sighs, feeling ridiculous.

"What's wrong, love?" Charles murmurs, stroking his hair.

Erik shakes his head, hiding his eyes in Charles's slacks. "Nothing." And nothing is, right now. He just rests there, being close to Charles and gradually feeling better. "I do need something to do besides housework, though."

"Even if you are wonderful at it. What would you like to do?"

"See, I thought I would quit my job like a normal man, go to Europe for a while, and then get another one out of necessity."

"And now I've gone and removed her. I see."

"I love how you do that."

"Do what?"

"Casually personify things, but yes. Now that I can choose, I have no idea what I want."

"Poor Erik," Charles murmurs, and Erik looks up to be sure he's not being made fun of because he can't take that just now, not even gently. Charles's eyes are serious, though, full of calm and tender sympathy. Erik falls in love all over again, and makes Charles blush when he says so. They're still not quite used to all these emotions. Or rather, acknowledging them.

"I love you too, Erik," Charles says at last, gazing down into his face like it holds all the beauty in the universe, "more than I'll ever be able to say. But I'll feel free to try."

"…God, I wish you could meet my mother." The tears come welling up now, and he hides his eyes against Charles's thigh, feeling like a fool. Charles just pets him.

"I wish I could too, Erik." He doesn't say anything about his own mother, and Erik almost feels bad for mentioning his, since reading between the lines he's pretty sure Sharon Xavier and Edie Lensherr were nothing alike.

"I'm sorry," Erik finally says, "I just got to thinking about them today."

"Don't be sorry. I'm glad you want to share memories with me. You know I don't talk my own parents much, but I certainly don't begrudge you yours for their having been kind to you."

"If yours were cruel to you they must have been legally insane. And stupid." It comes out before he can stop it and he guesses that he must be right, because Charles just laughs and hugs him.


End file.
